Die Hermannsschlacht

Heinrich von Kleist's drama about the Cheruscan prince Hermann, who defeated a Roman army in the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD, is one of the most controversial works of the author. Is it an anti-French propaganda piece, created in 1808 under the impression of Prussia's defeat against the Napoleonic army? Or does Kleist rather compellingly illustrate how resistance against an occupying power turns into a brutal, inhumane guerrilla war? The political relevance of the drama initially prevented its performance; it was only published and premiered after Kleist's death, and after 1871, "The Battle of Hermann" became a stage success. Claus Peymann brought the play into the present with his famous production in 1982 at the Schauspielhaus Bochum, confronting the terrifying truth about war and mercilessness.